Lydia Ko Fires Career-Low 60 to Lead Ford Championship by One Stroke

Lydia Ko opened the Ford Championship with a 12-under 60, marking the best round of her LPGA career at Whirlwind Golf Club.

Lydia Ko signed for a 12-under-par 60 on Thursday at the Ford Championship, establishing a new personal benchmark for her LPGA Tour career. Competing on the Cattail course at Whirlwind Golf Club in Phoenix, the New Zealander secured a one-shot advantage over Hyo Joo Kim, who posted an 11-under 61. This opening round represents the first time since the 2003 Kellogg-Keebler Classic that two players recorded double-digit under-par scores on the same day. Ko’s scorecard featured a streak of four consecutive birdies to start her round and concluded with two additional birdies on her final two holes of the morning session.

Starting her 13th professional season, Ko utilized a Scotty Cameron 12 putter, an equipment change she implemented just 48 hours prior on Tuesday. The shift in gear facilitated a scoring rhythm that saw her reach 10 under par through 15 holes. After beginning her day on the 10th hole, she birdied her 14th and 15th holes (the fifth and sixth holes of the course), which brought the prospect of a sub-60 round into play. Annika Sorenstam remains the lone player in LPGA history to break 60, a feat achieved 25 years ago on a different Phoenix layout. Ko missed a seven-foot birdie opportunity on the par-5 seventh hole after failing to hit the putt with enough pace, eventually settling for the 60.

Historic Scoring at Whirlwind Golf Club

The 60 recorded by Ko is only the ninth such score or lower in the history of the LPGA Tour. The most recent player to reach this milestone was Lucy Li, who accomplished the feat at Pinnacle Country Club in Arkansas earlier in 2024. Ko’s morning wave performance was mirrored by Hyo Joo Kim, who also began her day on the 10th tee. Kim produced a 28 on her opening nine holes and finished her round with a birdie-eagle-birdie sequence. Her eagle occurred on the par-4 eighth hole, where she holed out directly from the fairway to surge up the leaderboard.

Nelly Korda sits three shots behind the lead after posting a 63, which ranks among the lowest rounds of her professional tenure. Korda, coming off a 54-hole victory in Florida and a runner-up finish in California, highlighted her day with a fairway hole-out for eagle on the 18th. These low scores were recorded during the morning session before temperatures climbed toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). The afternoon heat appeared to slow the scoring pace for late starters like world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, who reached the turn at 2 under par while the leaders rested.

Equipment Changes and Statistical Outliers

Ko’s decision to switch putter models was a significant departure from her usual habits, as the Kiwi rarely alters the contents of her bag. She noted that the Scotty Cameron 12 felt comfortable during practice rounds earlier in the week. Despite the missed seven-footer on the seventh, she expressed satisfaction with unexpected birdies on other holes that balanced her scorecard. Ko was one of six golfers from the early groups to shoot 65 or better, taking advantage of the soft conditions before the extreme Phoenix heat intensified and dried out the greens.

In contrast to the leaders, Lexi Thompson struggled in her 2026 season debut. Playing a limited schedule, Thompson finished the opening round with a 3-over 75. Her score left her 15 strokes behind Ko’s lead. The disparity in scoring highlighted the extreme environment described by officials, as the field chased Ko’s 12-under-par benchmark. Ko reflected on her start, noting she had never previously opened a competitive round with four straight birdies, a momentum shift that defined her back-nine performance and set the tone for the tournament.

The statistical probability of two players shooting 61 or better in the same round is historically low, occurring only once before in the last two decades of LPGA competition. Ko’s 60 required 24 putts total, a metric that underscores the efficiency of her new equipment. Meanwhile, Hyo Joo Kim’s 61 was bolstered by a 100% driving accuracy rate on the front nine. The Cattail course, measuring 6,734 yards for this event, yielded a scoring average of 70.2 for the morning wave, nearly two strokes lower than the afternoon average.

Ko’s previous career low was a 61, achieved during the final round of the 2021 Evian Championship. By shaving one stroke off that mark, she moves into a tie for the second-lowest score in tour history. The 28-year-old New Zealander now holds at least one round of 62 or better in four different countries. As the tournament progresses, the focus remains on whether the 59 barrier will be threatened again, given the receptive nature of the greens during the early hours. Ko’s performance on the par-3s was particularly notable, as she played the four short holes in 3 under par, gaining 2.4 strokes on the field in that category alone.